It can be difficult to prioritize mental health in college. More so, it can be hard to know where to find the support that best suits one’s emotional needs.

Traditionally, therapy is regarded as a key resource for mental health. But financial limitations can limit students’ access to therapy, and those who can afford it still may be unable to find a therapist. A survey for the American Psychological Association (APA) conducted in November 2022 indicated a nationwide mental health practitioner shortage. The APA reported 6 in 10 mental health practitioners do not have availability for new patients.

“This therapist shortage is really affecting college students,” Ashlee Nielsen, a junior psychology student at UO, said. “College is an everybody struggle, and no one is really doing too hot. We all have our own struggles, so I think it’s most important for mental health resources to be widely accessible for different scales of issues.”

Jaedyn Lehman, a junior journalism student at UO, said she has been searching but unable to find a therapist due to the mental health practitioner shortage.

UO’s Counseling Services are working to compensate for the limited availability of therapy by hosting Let’s Talk events more frequently. Let’s Talk is a service for UO students providing free one-on-one appointments with a Counseling Services staff member.

“I don’t have medical insurance, so I don’t have access to mental health resources,” Nielsen said. “I have to dig the barrel of what UO has for mental health support, so it’s nice when I hear about different resources like Let’s Talk.”

Because Let’s Talk typically caters to different themes on different days, students can find appointments with experts on sexuality, gender, race, social status and other identity defining aspects. But appointments are inclusive and not limited to those experiencing difficulties with aspects of identity.

Let’s Talk appointments are first-come-first-serve and typically last between 15-30 minutes. Because of their brevity, these appointments are best for specific mental health concerns that require immediate attention. Let’s Talk counselors can also aid students in looking for more permanent, long-term counseling services.

Guy Jacobs, a senior journalism student at UO, said if he was experiencing a mental health crisis that didn’t demand long-term therapy, he would go to a Let’s Talk session.

“It’s nice that it’s confidential and you can easily do it on your own time, so you don’t have to tell your friends you’re seeing a therapist if that is something you’re embarrassed about,” Jacobs said.

The process of finding a therapist can be daunting. And often, students experience mental health crises that need to be addressed by a professional sooner than the time it would take to find a long term therapist. For those not ready or requiring long term therapy, Let’s Talk is an excellent resource for receiving immediate attention on mental health issues.

“I think a lot of college students can be scared to set up therapy appointments,” Lehman said. “Most of us have issues even calling the dentist, so it’s nice that Let’s Talk is more laid back.”

Let’s Talk can be accessed remotely by Zoom or in person through drop-ins and appointments. To find a schedule of the events, students can access the UO events calendar and search “Let’s Talk.”